Q: Miguel Viegas (GUE/NGL, PT) - Medicated pet food (2015-01-30)

The Commission is preparing to regulate the manufacture of medicated pet food, including it under the more general framework of medicated animal feed. Medicated feed is a compromise to be used when it is impossible to treat animals individually.

In my opinion, the use of medicated pet food is entirely inappropriate because, in this case, the principle of individual treatment should prevail, including specific diagnosis and a prescription tailored to the animal’s size and condition.

Can the Commission explain the grounds for including pets in the legislation on medicated feed? Does it not think that this runs counter to all the guidelines that point towards limiting the use of antibiotics?

Q: Miguel Viegas (GUE/NGL, PT) - Medicated feed and medical prescription for pets (2015-01-30)

A new draft regulation on medicated feed is under preparation. The draft expressly includes medicated feed for pets. This situation is an affront to all therapeutic standards which call for an individual approach, wherever possible, to medicinal treatment. Consequently, as regards pet animals, individual treatment is the rule par excellence.

 I therefore ask the Commission what information it has concerning the annual volume of medicated feed used for pets in Europe. What is its assessment of the viability of such medicated feed for pets under this regulation, specifically with regard to advance production prior to veterinary prescription?

In this regard, considering average daily consumption per pet and bearing in mind the minimum quantity of the ration to be prepared to ensure proper homogenisation, how is it possible, in the Commission's opinion, to ensure that prescriptions are adapted to each individual case and in line with good practice in the manufacture of medicated feed?

A: Joint answer given by Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission (2015-03-17)

The Commission proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of medicated feed and repealing Council Directive 90/167/EEC establishes rules for the manufacture and use of medicated pet food.

These rules strive to allow the pet owner to treat his animals via medicated feed in a safe and efficient way. They are designed for an individual treatment of the diseased pets. The main application of medicated pet food is expected to be the treatment of chronic diseases and not of antimicrobial infections. The provisions for medicated pet food are in line with the Commission`s strategy to fight antimicrobial resistance.

The volume of medicated pet food in the EU is under the current legal framework very limited. More information about the reasons and constraints can be found in the impact assessment accompanying the proposal.

The Commission proposal addresses explicitly the homogeneity of the medicated feed, the daily consumption of feed taking into account the therapeutic dosage and the respective veterinary prescription.